Lori Koenig

“Among the Flowers” by Lori Koenig

Submitted to Contest #86

She was not a morning person.  Not by sentiment.  Not by culture.  Certainly not by habit, as she could often be found, blanket swaddled, cuddling with her mattress until the mid morning hours. Drooling on her pillow was the norm of her wake up routines, and hitting her snooze button several times became a most regular occurrence.  It had always been this way, as she often took a while to fall to sleep and once there, would succumb to nightmares which woke her, then it was back to fitful sleep again.  On one occasion...

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“Being the Beaver” by Lori Koenig

Submitted to Contest #76

“I didn’t expect to see you here today,” Jane said with an air of concern. Tim shuffled inside and replied, “Well, I hoped you’d have some extra time for me. I know we usually do Thursdays, but…” “It’s fine Tim, I’m free. Let me just put the kettle on.” “Thanks, but I can’t stay that long, really…” he said, looking down at his feet, and then out the window, staring at a squirrel rampaging down the tree outside. “I’m just feeling so out of place today.” “Some days are like that, for everyone,” she said, as she settled into her large brown ...

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“Just In Case” by Lori Koenig

Submitted to Contest #64

Every now and then, the little bulb that she plugged into the hallway, to serve as a night light, would flicker. Silvie wondered if there was a short in the socket, or something wrong in the wiring of the light, and it made her nervous.  She had always had fears of an electrical fire, ever since her neighbors’ house burned down one night when she was younger.  They said it was from the faulty wiring of a bedside lamp upstairs in their old farmstead.  They had used the lamp for many years, but the cord loosened and warped over ...

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“Family Resemblance” by Lori Koenig

Submitted to Contest #61

Surely there would be another one coming soon, Eva thought, as she anxiously scanned the computer screens for an eta on the next eastbound L train.  She had only missed the last one by a few seconds, after making her way briskly through the terminal and down the stairs. Now, she would be late, she knew, and didn’t want to arrive after the service had already started. There would be no good excuse she could make after all, except her general avoidance of the whole event and her desire to be left alone to grieve in her own way. But the da...

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“Blooms From the Ashes” by Lori Koenig

Submitted to Contest #60

It was the rare sighting of a poppy that caught Harper’s eye and held her transfixed for a moment.  The vibrant orange struck her as incongruous with all of the ashen browns and grays of her daily tableau.  At once, she had been transported to the trip she had taken, some ten years prior, in tow to her older sister and parents, down to see the Antelope Valley poppy preserve in full bloom during their spring break.  The sheer number of blossoms had been dizzying and left her utterly speechless in wonder, though she was known fo...

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“The Morning Fog” by Lori Koenig

The light streaming in through the window when Anna awoke at 6am told her that the fog had rolled in again overnight, and that it would likely not burn off until much later. She could tell from the heft of it, the gradation of the gray color. So she got up, and sleepily picked out layers to wear for her morning commute to the cafe. The apartment was mostly quiet, except for the noise of traffic from the street three stories below.Her roommate James, was already gone, as he often was, off to drive for one of the taxi service apps that were al...

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